


The Great Idris Baking Show

by Kitsune_Moonstar



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - The Great British Bake Off Fusion, Baker Alec Lightwood, Baking, Club Owner Magnus Bane, Fashion Designer Magnus Bane, M/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-01
Updated: 2019-03-17
Packaged: 2019-06-01 05:05:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15135737
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kitsune_Moonstar/pseuds/Kitsune_Moonstar
Summary: The Great Idris Baking Show: Ten weeks of baking to decide the best amateur baker.  It's an opportunity of a life time for Alec, even if it took his sister entering him behind his back.  Alec was already nervous to start with, but add in the handsomest man he's ever met as one of the show's hosts, and this could be a recipe for disaster.  He can only hope to make it to the final round.Magnus was thrilled to host The Great Idris Baking Show to start with.  He knows he's not supposed have favorites, but when it comes to an adorable baker, he can't help himself.  Of course, he only has ten weeks to get to know Alec and maybe get a date, but Magnus is up for the challenge.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own Shadowhunters or the Great British Baking Show.

            As much as Alec would like to blame Izzy for this, he knew he could have gotten out of it if that's what he really wanted.  Izzy might have filled out and sent in the application for him, but Alec had shown up at the audition.  The Great Idris Baking Show was one of Alec's all time favorite shows, but he would have never dreamed of entering as a contestant himself.  His sister had taken care of that for him it seemed, and here Alec was: nervous, excited, and having second  thoughts.

            It wasn't the baking.  He had been doing that for years.  It had started when he was a teenager.  Their parents hadn't been the most engaged at that time, and Izzy had come to him in tears one night because their father had forgotten to arrange for cupcakes to take to school for her birthday tomorrow.  Alec had grabbed the old Mary Berry cookbook they had and had spent the entire night making chocolate cupcakes.  It had been worth it for the look on Izzy's face the next morning, and Alec had found that he enjoyed baking.

            It had quickly become his go to stress relief activity, and baking had definitely become something of a solace for the rest of his teenage years.  Between his parent's marriage coming apart, his little brother's illness, Jace and Izzy's rebellious shenanigans, and Alec's own terror about someone discovering he was gay, baking was a welcome refuge.  And it certainly didn't hurt that it was something that almost everyone in the family appreciated.  Alec had also learned it was useful when he went off to college.  It certainly made him the favorite dormmate and group project partner.  People were much more willing to do their part when you threatened to withhold the baked goods.  Certainly no one complained when Alec filled the kitchen with stress baking over exams.

            These days Alec was a little less liable to do that, though he still baked regularly.  It had turned from a coping mechanism to a hobby.  His relationship with his father had never really recovered after he had come out, but his siblings had rallied around him, and his mother had come around.  Alec regularly brought in baked goodies for his architecture firm's monthly potlucks and birthday celebrations, and his weekends were often spent experimenting with recipes and watching baking shows when Jace and Izzy weren't dragging him out.

            All and all, Alec was pretty happy even if his love life was abysmal.  And then Izzy had dropped the Great Idris Baking Show in his lap.  He was going to get to see Imogen Herondale and Catarina Loss in person.  And they were going to judge his baking.  That part was a little terrifying.  It didn't seem real, even though there had already been a camera crew around to his apartment to film his introduction bits.  Alec took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down.  There was no guarantee that he would be the first baker asked to leave, and Izzy would give him an earful about putting himself down.  He could do this.

 

* * *

 

            This was going to be fun.  Magnus was looking forward to his newest gig.  Not only was he going to be working with two of his favorite people, but The Great Idris Baking Show was something of a household name.  And while Magnus might be well known as a fashion designer and club owner in some circles, it never hurt to have more exposure.  Besides, he had been told that one of the perks of being a host was that he got to taste the baking.  And the Great Idris Baking Show tended to be his favorite type of reality TV.  As much as he enjoyed the drama and chaos of a lot of the shows, there was just something nice about a show where everybody just wanted to do their best and were nice to one another.

            It wouldn't be the first time that Magnus had acted as a host before, but it was probably the biggest event he'd ever been involved with.  And he would admit that he was a little bit intimated by Imogen Herondale.  The woman was a legend for a reason, but she didn't exactly come across as warm and fuzzy in the few meetings they'd had.  Catarina was an old friend though, and Magnus was thrilled with the opportunity to work with her.  Add to that that Raphael was his co-host, and it was going to be a fun job all around.

            And it certainly didn't hurt that he was also a fan of the show.  Magnus was interested in finding out what it was like actually being in the tent.  Alicante Estates was certainly as beautiful as it appeared on TV, and Magnus was looking forward to spending his next ten weeks out here every weekend.  He only hoped that the group inside the tent would be just as enjoyable.  Magnus had seen the profiles, but he hadn't had a chance to meet any of them bakers yet.  That should change soon though since they were due to start filming the first episode  in the next thirty minutes.

            He double checked his make up in the mirror before wandering off to find Raphael in order to run their opening one more time.  Not that they needed the practice, but it would give Magnus something to do rather than getting anxious.  No matter how many times he did something like this, if left to his own devices, anxiety would get the better of him.  Call it stage fright or whatever.  Once they actually started filming Magnus would be fine.  It was just the anticipation that got to him.  Keeping busy tended to take care of that problem though.

            His friend had anticipated him, and it didn't take long for the two of them to run their introduction enough that Magnus was sure they'd be just fine once the filming started.  The director caught their eye and nodded.  Magnus grinned.  Time to get this show on the road.


	2. Week One - Cake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a recap of what each baker's bakes and their technical standing as well as the Star Baker and elimination at the end of the chapter.

            It didn't really sink in until he walked into the tent.  Alec had arrived yesterday, but it all seemed like a dream.  He'd been picked up at the train station along with a couple of others and then taken directly to their rooms at Alicante Estate.  Alec had pretty much stayed  there for the most part, only venturing out for dinner and breakfast.  He knew he could have used the time in order to get to know some of the other bakers, but he'd been too anxious to deal with meeting new people.  He had gotten a handout with everyone's names and their assigned stations in the tent, but he hadn't really put names to faces.

            At least until they were assembling to start filming.  Alec found himself standing between two women around his age as the director lined them up and set up the shot.  The blond introduced herself as Helen and the Asian woman was Aline.  Of course there wasn't much time for more than basic introductions before the hosts strolled into the shot, and Alec's nerves were back full force, but for a slightly different reason.

             Alec had known there would be new hosts this season.  And while he didn't recognize either of the two men, one of them was certainly one of the most handsome men he'd met.  He tossed all of the contestants a warm smile and a wink before turning to face the cameras.  Alec tried to calm his fluttering heart.  This was not a good sign.  He had a tendency to turn into a stuttering idiot when it came to cute guys, and that was not the first impression that he wanted to make on the judges.  Still, he paid enough attention to learn that the serious looking host was Raphael and the gorgeous one was Magnus.

            They were done filming the introduction before long which meant it was time to head into the tent, and that's when it really hit him.  He was really here and competing.  Alec found his station on autopilot, and was pleased to see that Helen was at the station in front of him.  In front of him was a sharply dressed man that had been picked up from the train station at the same time as Alec, and across the aisle was a red headed woman.  Alec took a deep breath and put on his apron.  He could do this.

            Then the hosts and the judges entered the tent.  Imogen Herondale seemed much more intimidating in person, and that was saying something.  But then Magnus started to speak.  "Good morning, bakers, and welcome to your very first Signature Challenge."

            "What Catarina and Imogen are looking for today is a sandwich cake," Raphael told them.  "Now the filling of your sandwich cake can be anything you like.  You've got two hours to bake, decorate, and serve your cake."

            "So for the first time," Magnus grinned at them all.  "On your marks."

            "Get set."

            "Bake!" The two men chorused together.

            Alec immediately got to work on making his cakes.  He'd known what he was going to do as soon as they'd been informed of what the first Signature Challenge would be.  Lemon was one of his favorites, and he'd made a lemon version of the Victoria Sandwich before.  It was a simple cake, but it was one that Alec knew he could execute well.  He figured he could start simple and get more complicated with his bakes as the competition went on.  Alec wanted to find his feet in the competition before he got too far ahead of himself.

            Baking in the tent isn't much like baking in his own kitchen.  There's not as much space for one thing, and there was a great deal more noise and distractions for another.  Alec wasn't much one for chatter or talking to himself as he worked, but that clearly wasn't the case for some of the other bakers.  Plus there was the camera crew moving around and at times prompting the bakers to answer questions.  They hadn't come over to bother him yet, and Alec was hoping he could get through the first challenge before figuring out how to deal with that.  He hadn't quite realized how much he'd have to interact with them until now.

            There was also the fact that Catarina and Imogen were going around and talking with each of the bakers about their cakes.  It was going to be Alec's first interaction with them, and he was feeling more than a bit nervous.  So instead he focused on getting the right amount of batter into his cake tins, so he could get them into the oven as soon as possible.

            "Alexander," a familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

            Alec jumped and almost knocked his head against the counter as he got up from putting his cakes in the oven.  Magnus, Imogen, Catarina, and Raphael were all standing at his counter.  Trying to calm his racing heart, Alec set his timer and then started assembling his ingredients for the mascarpone cream filling for his sandwich.  Catarina offered him a sympathetic smile.

            "Tell us about your cake, Alec."

            "I'm making a lemon Victoria Sandwich.  It'll have two layers of lemon sponge with a layer of mascarpone buttercream and lemon curd in the middle and topped with caster sugar."

            "That's a fairly simple cake," Imogen said.  "It doesn't leave much room for any sort of imperfection."

            Alec nodded.  "I know."

            They chat a little bit more with Magnus throwing him a wink as they leave.  Alec is sure that he's blushing but tries not to think about that as he gets the rest of his components ready.  The two hours are flying by much faster than he expected and while Alec hasn't had any major problems, he's nervous about falling behind.  It's also clear that not everyone has been that lucky.  Alec has done his  best not to be distracted by the other bakers or their bakes, but some things were hard to miss.

            It wasn't until time was called that Alec started looking around at other people's cakes.  The competition was fierce.  There were a lot of good looking cakes, though there were also several that were on the messy side.  For this round, the judges were coming around to each baker's workspace to judge the cakes.  And unfortunately for him, they had started on the other side of the room.  Having to wait and listen to other people get their feedback didn't make it much easier either.  Still, he managed to give Helen a thumbs up after she had gotten an overall good review on her Marmalade Sandwich.

            And then it was his turn.  Alec watched with his heart in his throat as Imogen cut a piece of his cake to try.  He held his breath waiting for the verdict.

            "Good flavor, simple, elegant, well executed," Catarina told him.

            Imogen nodded.  "It's a simple bake, but you pulled it off well."

            Alec slumped in seat with a sigh once they had left.  That had gone well.  Now he just had to get through the Technical Challenge, and they could call it a day.

 

* * *

 

            It was probably a good thing that the judges and hosts were provided lunch separately from the rest of the group because Magnus would  be tempted to behave unprofessionally.  For multiple reasons, but the main one being that Alexander Lightwood was too adorable to resist.  Admittedly, Magnus didn't know much about the other man yet, but what he did know he liked.  And Alexander was completely irresistible when flustered and blushing.  Magnus knew that he shouldn't have favorites, but Alexander was definitely one of the ones he was going to be rooting for.

            Not all of the competitors were quite so pleasant.  Magnus had looked at the list beforehand, but somehow he had missed the fact that Lorenzo Rey was participating.  So far the man hadn't done anything too annoying, but he and Magnus had a history, mostly as business rivals, and Magnus preferred to avoid him when possible.  Magnus had not known Lorenzo was an amateur baker, but it was a good thing that Magnus was a host instead of a judge.  Still, there were more pleasant things to think about, like how much he could flirt with Alec on air without making things too awkward.

 

* * *

 

 

            Lunch had ended up being a decent distraction from the looming Technical Challenge.  Aline and Helen had claimed the seats next to him, and they had turned out to be very good company.  Helen was a scientist of some sort and worked in a research lab while Aline was a mayoral aide.   Still, it could only last for so long, and they all trooped back into the tent for the Technical Challenge.  Once everyone was back at their stations, Magnus scanned the room before beginning to speak.

            "Bakers, welcome to your first ever Technical Challenge.  This one has been set by the lovely Catarina, and it should be a good start for everyone."

            "Imogen and Catarina are not going to in the action for this next bit," Raphael told them.  "Any advice for our bakers before you good?"

            "Read the recipe at least twice before you do anything," Catarina told them.

            "Imogen, any words?"

            "Good luck."

            Magnus raised his eyebrows at that, and Alec had to bite back a laugh at his expression.

            "Off you go now." Raphael made shooing motions at the two judges.

            Once they were gone, Magnus took the lead once more.

            "Catarina and Imogen would very much like you to make a Madeira cake with candied lemon."

            Raphael nodded.  "You have got three hours.  Very good luck.  On your marks."

            "Get set."

            "Bake!"

            Alec actually let out a sigh of relief.  A Madeira cake was something he knew how to do.  It was actually one of his mom's favorites, so he'd had some practice with them.  Of course, he normally skipped the candied topping, but he'd done that at least once before.  So he got to work feeling rather calm.  That was not the case throughout the tent though.  There were quite a few people who were being rather vocal about how stressed out they were by the challenge.  Alec did his best to ignore them and focus on his own work.

            And thankfully with the addition of the candied lemon, there wasn't much down time for the bake which meant he had less time to stress about it.  He wasn't entirely satisfied with how his candied lemon turned out, but at least it was passable.  As long as Alec didn't go out in this round, he was going to be okay with it.

            "All right folks, Catarina and Imogen's Madeira cake challenge is over.  Please bring your cakes up to the gingham alter and set them behind the photo of yourself," Magnus announced.

            Alec carried his cake up to the table feeling pretty good about things.  His probably wasn't the best cake, but it definitely wasn't the worst either.  He'd take that for their first week.  Now came the hard part.

            Imogen and Catarina returned to the tent, and the judging started.  It was agonizing sitting there and watching them give their commentary, especially you weren't supposed to whose cake was whose until they started ranking them all.  Helen had a death grip on his hand as she sat next to him.  Both Catarina and Imogen were far more critical than Alec had really expected this early on, but really he should know better; he had seen the show before.  It was almost a relief when they started handing out the rankings.

            "Last place is this one," Imogen pointed out a cake and a dark haired woman raised her hand.  "It's dry, overbaked, and your candied peel is just floppy."

            Catarina takes the next one and it continues from there.  Aline ended up in seventh place, Alec in sixth, and Helen in fifth.  All in all, not too bad.  First place went to the sharply dressed man from the station in front of Alec's who looked far too smug about it.  Because none of them were at the very top or the very botton, Alec, Helen, and Aline were amongst those who were dismissed to return to the estate and their own devices for the rest of the evening.

 

* * *

 

 

            "Did it have to be him, Cat?" Magnus was aware that he was whining.

            Catarina just laughed at him.  "Yes, Magnus.  His cake was technically the best.  But you should know by now that this early on that really means nothing."

            Magnus sighed.  "Whatever.  So what do you think about the rest of the bakers this time around?"

            "Do you actually care about the rest of the bakers or do you just want to know what we think of your pretty boy baker?" Raphael asked as he brought their glasses of wine over.

            Magnus rolled his eyes.  "Of course I want to know what you think of Alexander, but I wouldn't mind hearing your thoughts on some of the others as well."

            "Alec Lightwood?" Catarina smiled.  "He's a good solid baker.  Nothing outstanding so far, but it's early yet.  He does seem a little a little shy and easily flustered.  Do us all a favor and don't embarrass him too badly while he's on camera."

            "And keep your flirting to a minimum," Raphael added.  "The rest of us shouldn't have to suffer through that."

            Magnus did the only dignified thing he could do; he threw the throw pillow at them.

 

* * *

 

            The next morning dawned clear and sunny, and Alec had had three cups of coffee and gone for his regular morning run by the time any of the bakers showed their faces.  Which was just fine by Alec.  He might be up early, but he wasn't really read to interact with other people right off the bat.  Today was going to be interesting to say the least.  It was their final challenge of the weekend, and that meant that someone was going to be eliminated later today.  Barring some sort of complete disaster later on, Alec was pretty sure that he was safe for now.  Nothing he had done had really wowed the judges, but he hadn't made any major mistakes either.

            He was starting to feel the nerves by the time everyone else was up and breakfast was served.  Thankfully, once they had all been fed, it was straight out to the tent.  Alec quickly found his way to his station and put on his apron even as Magnus and the others took up their places at the front of the tent.  They all knew what the challenge would be, but there was something about hearing Magnus and Raphael announce what it was that made everything more real.

            "Hello, bakers, and welcome to your Showstopper day," Raphael greeted them.

            "Imogen and Catarina would like you to bake a cake," Magnus told them.  "Sounds easy doesn't it.  But they would like you to bake in perfect miniature thirty-six identical cakes.  You've got three and half hours.  On your marks."

            "Get set."

            "Bake!"

            Alec immediately got to work.  He should be fine for time, but he wanted to make sure he got his filling in the refrigerator to chill before getting started on  the cakes themselves.  It was the quantity that would make this a tricky bake more than anything else.  That and the fact that all the cakes were supposed to be identical.  He was a little worried that his decoration might be too simple as well, but he'd worry about that later.  Right now he just wanted to make sure that he got everything started and in progress.

            This time when the judges and hosts showed up at his counter, Alec was a little more composed.

            "I'm making mini mocha molten cakes.  It's a chocolate cake with a mocha ganache inside and it will be topped with a mocha sauce, whipped cream, and a chocolate covered espresso bean."

            It was one of Izzy's favorite's when she'd had a bad week, and Alec had made it enough that he felt pretty confident that it would taste good no matter what.  Presentation he was a little more concerned about.  Still, he'd do his best.

            "Is this some of that mocha ganache?" Magnus asked, pointing to the little cup of ganache that Alec had used for a sample to make sure it tasted right before he put it in the fridge.  "Can I try it?"

            Alec shrugged.  "Sure."

            Magnus dipped his pinky into the ganache, and sucked it off.  Alec was pretty sure that he was blushing.

            "Delicious."

            He was pretty sure that Magnus had just winked at him.  Thankfully, they left before Alec could make a fool of himself in front of Magnus.  Besides, he still had plenty of work to get done.  He wasn't behind yet, but it would be all too easy to fall behind if he wasn't careful.  In fact, some of the other bakers had run into trouble with that.  As Alec was carefully putting his cakes into the oven, he could hear one of the other bakers having a meltdown.  A quick glance around the tent told him that it was Maureen, their youngest baker, and Magnus is already over there, trying to calm her down.

            Alec let out a sigh and turned back to his own baking; he wasn't especially good with crying people anyway.  Even with Izzy or Max his typical solution was to bake them something.  With his cakes in the oven though, he needed to make the chocolate covered espresso beans and his whipped cream.  He had a tray to display the cakes on all set up, so once they got out of the oven, he could start assembling things.  The biggest trick would be to time things right so they were still warm, but not so hot that they would melt the whipped cream.

            He quickly lost track of time focusing on his cakes and all their components.  It came as a surprise when Raphael's voice rang out with the warning of "Ten minutes!  You have ten minutes on the miniature masterpieces."

            Alec winced; he couldn't put it off any longer.  As carefully as he could, he dolloped spoonfuls of whipped cream on the top of each of the cakes then topped that with a chocolate covered espresso bean.  They weren't quite as pretty as he had hoped, but they looked decent at least.  And they were all ready to go when time was called.

            This time around they had to carry their cakes up to the judges, but at least they were starting with Alec's side of the tent.  Still, it was intimidating carrying his tray up to Imogen and Catarina, especially after Lorenzo had just received quite a bit of praise for his mini strawberry cheesecakes which had looked amazing.  Still, Alec reminded himself that Izzy loved these for a reason and set his cakes down on the table in front of the judges.

            "They look a little clumsy," Imogen said.  "The cakes could have been neater and a little more uniform."

            Alec's heart sank.  That wasn't a great start.

            "Let's have a taste."

            Imogen cut into the cake with her fork, and the ganache filling oozed out slightly which made Alec feel a little better.  Both Catarina and Imogen took bites, and Alec waited for the verdict.

            "You have a good balance of flavors," Catarina told him.  "Neither the chocolate or the coffee flavors overpower each over."

            "The whipped cream cuts the richness of the cake and keeps it from being too rich," Imogen added.

            "This is definitely a cake I would enjoy."

            He returned to his station with a smile and an encouraging thumbs up for Helen who was up next.  Alec could still feel the adrenaline running through him which didn't make sitting there and listening to everyone else be judged any easier.  He also hadn't realized that something even harder was about to come.  Because once Imogen and Catarina had finished judging their bakes, then they and the hosts left the tent and the bakers were left to wait until a decision was made.  Alec was pretty sure he wasn't about to be eliminated at this point, but that didn't mean he wanted to just sit and wait with nothing else to do while that decision was made.

            On the upside, there was a tea and coffee service, so Alec fixed himself a cup of coffee and doctored it with some of the left over mocha ganache in order to make a homemade mocha.  Aline caught him doing so and demanded one for herself, and the next thing Alec knew he was out of ganache.  Of course, that also mean that he had also been pulled into conversation with the group of women who he'd made mochas for which made the wait pass a little bit faster.  Besides Helen and Aline, there was also Maia and Jordan. 

            Maia was a bartender as well as a grad student and she was bound and determined to have booze in every single of her bakes if possible while Jordan was a social worker.  Apparently the two of them had dated in high school, but had broken up and this was their first time seeing one another in years.  They seemed to get a long pretty well despite that though, and Alec had to admit that he enjoyed talking about something other than baking or the competition.

            Finally, they were told that the judges were ready and everyone was lined up on stools for the announcements.   Alec found himself sandwiched in between Aline and Helen.  Magnus smiled at the assembled group.

            "Well done, bakers, you've all worked incredibly hard this weekend.  I have the good job this week since I get announce who gets to be our very first Star Baker.  This person produces a lovely sandwich and also makes a mean cheese cake.  The Star Baker this week goes to Victor."

            Alec joined the group's applause for the man.  Victor looked quite pleased with himself, but Alec really couldn't blame him for that.

            "I've got the slightly more onerous task," Raphael said once the applause had died down.  "It's with real sadness that the person leaving us today is Maureen."

            Once that had been announced things devolved into hugs for Maureen and congratulations for Victor.  Since they weren't needed for any interview bits, Alec and a number of the others were then sent back to the estate to pack up and head home.  Alec felt a little in a state of shock on the train ride home.  One weekend down, nine more to go.  He had survived so far, and maybe made a few new friends.

            Izzy was waiting for him at the station.  He'd texted her earlier to let her know when he'd be in and that he had survived the first set of challenges.  Her smile was almost as strong as her hug when she greeted him.

            "I'm so proud of you, Alec.  Now, you have to tell me everything."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Week One - Cake
> 
> Signature Challenge - Sandwich Cake:  
> * Victor Aldertree - Coffee & Walnut Sandwich  
> * Helen Blackthorn - Marmalade Sandwich  
> * Maureen Brown - Chocolate Victoria Sandwich  
> * Lily Chen - Coffee Sandwich  
> * Clary Fray - Nutella Chocolate Sandwich  
> * Meliorn Knight - Almond Apricot Sandwich  
> * Jordan Kyle - Banana Sandwich  
> * Alec Lightwood - Lemon Victoria Sandwich  
> * Aline Penhallow - Blackberry Victoria Sandwich  
> * Lorenzo Rey - Victoria Sandwich  
> * Maia Roberts - Gin & Tonic Sandwich  
> * Dot Rollins - Pumpkin Sandwich
> 
> Technical Challenge - Madeira Cake with Candied Lemon Peel:  
> 1\. Lorenzo Rey  
> 2\. Victor Aldertree  
> 3\. Maia Roberts  
> 4\. Lily Chen  
> 5\. Helen Blackthorn  
> 6\. Alec Lightwood  
> 7\. Aline Penhallow  
> 8\. Clary Fray  
> 9\. Meliorn Knight  
> 10\. Maureen Brown  
> 11\. Jordan Kyle  
> 12\. Dot Rollins
> 
> Showstopper Challenge - 36 Miniature Cakes:  
> * Victor Aldertree - Mini Black Current Cheesecakes  
> * Helen Blackthorn - Mini Fluted Lemon Cakes  
> * Maureen Brown - Red Velvet Mini Cakes  
> * Lily Chen - Mini Orange Angel Food Cakes  
> * Clary Fray - Mini Earl Grey and Lemon Mini Loafs  
> * Meliorn Knight - Raspberry & Dark Chocolate Teacakes  
> * Jordan Kyle - Mini Brown Sugar Pound Cakes  
> * Alec Lightwood - Mini Molten Mocha Cakes  
> * Aline Penhallow - Lemon Drizzle Mini Cakes  
> * Lorenzo Rey - Mini Strawberry Cheesecakes  
> * Maia Roberts - Mini Irish Whisky Cakes  
> * Dot Rollins - Mini Carrot Cakes
> 
> Star Baker: Victor Aldertree  
> Eliminated: Maureen Brown


	3. Week Two - Cookies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a recap of what each baker's bakes and their technical standing as well as the Star Baker and elimination at the end of the chapter.

            The week between filmings dragged for Magnus.  For one thing, he'd had a pile of work to deal with for his businesses since he was going to be much less present for the next few weeks.  Magnus trusted his managers to keep things running smoothly in his absence, but he hadn't made it as far as he did without investing a personal touch.  Thankfully, this hadn't been a last minute gig, so there were plans in place, but even so, Magnus like to be in the loop about what was going on.

            Plus he and Raphael had to get together at some point and do some writing for the next show.  The theme was cookies, and Magnus was fairly sure they could come up with some witty repartee on the subject.  That Magnus was looking forward to.  He was also looking forward to seeing Alexander again.  Despite all the teasing he had gotten from his friends when they had watched the broadcast of the first episode together, Magnus was struck all over again by just how charming Alexander was when he blushed. 

            So Magnus was quite pleased when Friday rolled around, and he headed off to Alicante Estate for the weekend.  He had cookies to eat and a baker to charm

 

* * *

 

            Alec's week went by far too quickly.  Between work and practicing his recipes for the next weekend, his days were pretty full.  And of course there was Wednesday night when the first episode aired and everyone came over to watch it together.  Jace had brought Chinese for everyone, and Alec had made his Lemon Sandwich for dessert.  It had been a fun night, even if Jace and Izzy teased him mercilessly about Magnus Bane flirting with him.  Alec didn't think that was him personally.  Magnus seemed to flirt with everyone in the tent to some extent.  His mother had been proud of him, and Max had wanted to come by after school every day to be his taste tester for all of his recipes.

            By the time he boarded the train Friday night, Alec's nerves had started to come back again.  He had his recipes, and he knew they worked, but all it took was one bad bake.  Still, he was looking forward to the weekend.  He'd been texting Aline and Helen off and on during the week, and he was looking forward to seeing them again.  Arriving at the estate, Alec found his way back to his room to look over his schedule and station assignment for the next two days.

            He was full of nervous energy when the next morning dawned.  Even after his morning run he felt antsy.  Alec was more than ready to get in the tent and start baking.  Thankfully, as soon as everyone was done with breakfast, they were all hustled out to the tent.  This week his station was at the back of the tent.  There was no one across the aisle from him since they had an odd number of bakers this week, but Maia was at the station in front of his.  Aline and Helen were both in the middle at stations across the aisle from one another.

            A hush fell over the room as the hosts and the judges entered the tent.  Raphael smiled at them all.

            "Welcome back, bakers.  This week we'll see how the cookie crumbles.  For your Signature Challenge, Imogen and Catarina would like you to make twenty-four sandwich cookies.  The cookies and fillings can be any flavor you like.  You have an hour and a half.  On your marks."

            "Get set."

            "Bake!"

            Alec immediately got to work on his cookie dough.  As soon as he had been told what the challenge was, he knew what recipe he was going to use.  He didn't make sandwich cookies often, but when he did, this was Alec's favorite recipe.  It had just the right combination of sweet and tart, and citrus flavors were some of Alec's favorites.  Besides, whenever he brought in his tangy citrus sandwiches to work, they were all gone before the end of the day.  The trick would be getting everything baked quickly so they had enough time to cool before he put them together with the filling.  He was also making more cookies than he strictly needed so he could pick out the best looking ones for his sandwiches.

            He had just pulled his last batch of cookies out of the oven when Imogen and Catarina arrived at his station.  Alec carefully set the tray down before turning his attention to the judges.

            "What are you making for us today, Alec?" Catarina asked.

            "These are going to be my tangy citrus sandwich cookies.  They're crisp lemon cookies with a tangy filling and lightly dusted with a lemon sugar powder."

            Imogen poked at the cookies on the cooling rack.  "These do look very nice."

            They didn't stick around much longer which was fine by Alec.  He still had his filling to get done and the sandwich cookies to assemble.  It shouldn't take too long, but Alec had the feeling that as soon as he got the idea he had enough time to get everything done in his head, he'd find that he really doesn't.  It certainly doesn't help that he finds his hands are shaking as he pipes the filling onto the cookies.  Still, Alec managed to get them all done and neatly arranged on the tray within the last five minutes of the challenge.

            Then came the judging, and Alec's station at the back meant that no matter where the judges started, he was going to present in the middle of the back.  Still, it was fantastic to hear Helen get rave reviews for her cookies, and Alec was probably going to see if he could get the recipe for the cappuccino creams from the one woman.  It sounded like the sort of thing that his mom might like.

            "Alec, would you bring your sandwiches up please," Magnus said.

            Taking a deep breath, Alec grabbed his tray and brought it up to the table.  Catarina and Imogen picked through his sandwich cookies, comparing them to one another before selecting on to actually try.  Alec kept his hands clasped behind his back as he waited for them to give him his feedback.  Something in his face must have displayed nerves because Magnus shot him a reassuring look.

            "They're all quite uniform, and the lemon taste comes through quite strongly.  I like the crispness of the cookies," Catarina told him.

            "They are a little too sweet for me, but the flavors and the textures are quite good," Imogen added.

            That wasn't as good as he hoped, but at least there wasn't anything too negative about it.  Still, Alec wasn't exactly feeling great when they announced the lunch break before the Technical Challenge.  He wasn't the only one either which meant that there wasn't that much conversation at his lunch table.  That was fine by Alec; he wasn't really in the mood for conversation.  Even though he knew that he wasn't really in trouble yet, he was still disappointed with himself.  He had hoped for better than adequate this weekend.  There were two more challenges to go though, so Alec knew that he could do better.

 

* * *

 

            Magnus could tell that some of the bakers were starting to really feel the pressure, including Alexander.  He rather thought that Alexander might be being a little too hard on himself.  It was true that he had yet to really get any sort of major accolades from the judges, but all of his bakes had been pretty good.  Alexander did seem to be a bit of a perfectionist though.  His station was almost always neat and organized even when everyone else around him seemed to be in chaos.  He also got this expression on his face when he was focusing on something that Magnus would rather like turn on him one day.

            He hadn't had much of a chance to try and get to know the other man better so far, but Magnus was bound and determined to make that happen somehow.  He knew that what he'd seen of Alexander so far he'd liked.  The man might be a little shy, but he seemed to be making friends with quite a few of the other bakers, and he was always willing to lend an extra set of hands to someone if he had them free.  The Technical Challenge probably wasn't the right time to try and strike up a conversation with Alec, but tomorrow there was a longer Showstopper, so maybe that could be his chance.

 

* * *

 

 

            Alec tried to put the morning out of his mind as they reentered the tent for the Technical Challenge.  It wouldn't do him any good to dwell, and Alec was probably being a little too hard on himself.  He had a tendency to do that.  Still, he was feeling anxious as they waited for the announcement of what the Technical Challenge would be.

            "Now that they're gone," Magnus was saying, "for your Technical Challenge, Imogen and Catarina would like you to make twenty macarons.  You have three hours.  On your marks."

            "Get set."

            "Bake!"

            Alec bit back a groan.  He knew how to make macarons.  He'd made them before.  And he hated them.  They were probably one of his least favorite cookies to make.  They were fiddly at best and nightmarish at worst.  Still, at least he knew what they should look like and how to make them.  As long as they were passable, he'd be pretty happy.  This was going to be one of those Technical Challenges that he was more than pleased just to get over with.

            The recipe they'd been given was fairly stripped down, but Alec was pretty sure he remember most of the pertinent missing details. His batter looked right at least, and he managed to get them into the oven before too long.  Which was a good thing.  Several of the others were having trouble, and it seemed that Jordan was having to start his batter all over again.  So at least there was that.

            In the end, Alec was down to the wire getting all of the macarons filled and on the plate to turn in.  They weren't the prettiest macrons he'd ever made, but they were decent enough, and Alec was pretty sure that they would get him through to the next round of competition at least, so long as he didn't any sort of major disaster with the Showstopper.

            Once again the worst part was sitting there while Imogen and Catarina tasted and commented on each of their macarons.  Alec was at the end of the row this time and sitting next to Victor which meant he really didn't have someone to commiserate with.  Alec ended up coming in fifth, which wasn't a bad result.  It wasn't fantastic; Alec would like to be in the top three at least once before he got eliminated, but at least it was good enough.

            Alec found himself phoning Izzy once they had been released for the rest of the day.  He was still feeling anxious and disappointed with himself, and his sister tended to give good pep talks.  The ground of Alicante Estate were gorgeous, so he wandered around until he found a secluded bench and gave Izzy a call.

 

* * *

 

            He hadn't actually been looking for Alexander, but Magnus wasn't going to complain when he stumbled upon him.  Though he quickly realized that the other man was on the phone with someone.  Whoever he was talking to was doing him some good though; Alexander seemed to be losing much of the tension he'd been carrying all day.  He was laughing at whatever the person on the other end of the line was telling him, and that was a delightful sound.

            Feeling a little bit like a creep for eavesdropping, Magnus turned around and headed back the way he came.  However, he hadn't made it very far before Alexander ended up coming of behind him, phone call clearly over.

            "Hey, Mr. Bane," Alexander offered him a smile.  "Enjoying the gardens?"

            "Magnus, please.  And yes.  Out for a walk as well?"

            "No, just calling my sister."

            There was an awkward silence for a moment.  And as much as Magnus did want to linger and chat with Alexander, it probably wasn't a good idea since it was just the two of them.  Not that Magnus had any influence over the judging, but the production crew had been pretty serious about any sort of implication of impropriety or favoritism.  Causing a scandal probably was not a good way to start a relationship.

            "Well, enjoy your evening," Magnus paused.  "Good luck tomorrow, Alexander."

            "Thanks.  Have a nice night."

            Magnus sighed and headed back to the estate.  Sometimes being a responsible human being wasn't very fun.

 

* * *

 

            Izzy had worked her magic once again.  Alec was feeling much better the next morning.  Which was a good thing.  It was going to be a long day.  He headed back to his station and put on his apron before looking around.  A couple of the other bakers were looking rather grim, but for the most part people seemed to be in good spirits.  Alec was ready to get started as Magnus and Raphael stepped forward to start things off.

            "All right, bakers.  Today's Showstopper Challenge features not one but two different types of bite sized morsels."  Magnus offered them all a wide grin.  "So, for this particular challenge the judges are asking for twenty-four meringues and twenty-four petit fours.  You've have four hours to get them done.  On your marks."

            "Get set."

            "Bake!"

            Alec got to work on his cake batter to start off with.  The biggest issue with this challenge was that of timing.  There was a lot of things to get done in four hours, and if Alec tackled them in the wrong order, he wouldn't have things ready to assemble in time.  That means he needs to get the cake for his petit fours in the over as soon as possible, so that they had time to cool completely before he tried to assemble his petit fours.  He was going to have a lot of components to get done before the end of the challenge.

            Once the cake was in the oven, Alec got to work on the other components for the petit fours: marmalade, candied orange, and icing.  Once that's done and the cake is out of the oven and cooling, Alec would be able to bake the meringues.  He'd done a couple timed runs in the past week, and he was pretty sure that he could do this without running out of time.  At least, he could as long as nothing went horribly wrong.

            He's in the middle of candying the orange zest when the judges stopped by.  Alec managed to talk about his petit fours and meringues without too much trouble or losing too much time.  He was beginning to get used to being observed all the time while he was baking.  What he wasn't expecting though was the fact that about fifteen minutes later, Magnus wandered back to his station and hung out while Alec was pulling his cake out of the oven.

            Alec's still not sure how the conversation started , but somehow Magnus got him talking about Izzy, and Alec was always happy to brag about his little sister.  Izzy is brilliant, even if they don't dare let her into the kitchen.  To be completely fair, when it comes to actual cooking, Alec's not the greatest either.  He's passable at best.  Baking is another story.

            "Does your sister bake as well?"

            "Not if we can help it.  As much as I love her, I fully support keeping Izzy out of the kitchen.  She start a fire once when trying to make toast.  No, Izzy's a brilliant scientist, but not a chef." Alec said.

            Magnus coaxes the story of Izzy and the cupcakes out of him which leads to even more stories including the time that she co-opted Jace and Alec into helping her sneak the meanest cat in the world into the house.  Talking about Izzy leads to fashion, and Magnus took the lead in the conversation.

            It's nice actually.  Magnus isn't as distraction as Alec though he might be.  It's a lot like when one of his siblings is over while he bakes.  Even down to having to smack hands that attempt to try things before they're ready.  Also, Alec had the feeling that if Magnus and Izzy ever met, he might be in real trouble, or at least an extended shopping trip.

            "You use a lot of citrus in your baking," Magnus commented changing the subject once again.

            Alec shrugged as he finished piping the meringues onto the baking tray.  "I like the flavors.  Besides, it's one of the flavors that everyone in my family can agree on.  That and chocolate."

            "It is hard to go wrong with chocolate."

            Alec blushed and looked away before ducking down to pop his meringues in the oven.  Those had about an hour to cook.  Now he just had to get his petit fours assembled.  Magnus got pulled into a conversation with Maia about cocktails, and Alec focused most of his attention on getting his bake done.  So he did a bit of a double take when he heard his name.

            "…Alec's drink is probably the Lemon Drop."

            "What?"

            Magnus turned to smile at him.  "Did I get it right?  Your preferred drink is a Lemon Drop?"

            Alec shrugged.  "I've never had one.  I haven't like most of the cocktails I've tried.  To be fair, I've only had a handful.  I'm usually the designated driver for Izzy and Jace."

            "We'll have to do something about that," Magnus smiled at him.  "I'll have to take you out for drinks once the competition is over."

            Alec almost dropped the candied orange he was putting on top of his petit fours.  He managed to save them, but he really wasn't sure what to say.  That almost sounded like Magnus was asking him out, but that couldn't be right.

            "That sounds nice."  And that sounded completely lame; Alec found himself blushing again.

            Magnus left shortly after that, and Alec wasn't sure if he was glad.  He'd enjoyed talking with Magnus quite a bit, but he was a distraction, and the longer they talked the more likely Alec was to make a fool of himself.  Alec focused on getting his petit fours done.  He was cutting things a little closer than he liked.  The meringues weren't cooking quite as fast as he'd like, and he was worried that they wouldn't be done in time.  They should be, but they had cooked faster at home which made Alec nervous now.

            "Heads up, bakers, you have ten minutes left!" Magnus' voice rang out from the front of the tent.

            Alec swore under his breath and checked the meringues again.  Letting out a sigh of relief, he pulled them out of the oven.  He'd let them cool a few minutes before plating them.  They did look pretty good, so he was hoping that they were completely cooked on the inside.  Today was another day of the judges going around to their stations in order to judge their bakes.  Alec took a deep breath and tried to pay attention to what they were saying to the other bakers.

            It certainly didn't help his nerves that the judges absolutely loved Maia's Bourbon brownie petit fours and her Grand Marnier meringues.  Still, he hoped they'd like his bakes just as much.

            "Let's give your petite fours a try first," Imogen said.  "What are in these again?"

            "It's a plain sponge with a layer of orange marmalade in between the cakes and a orange frosting topped with candied orange zest."

            "You've got good flavor on these," Catarina said.  "I like the fact that the sweetness is not overpowering.  The bake of your cake is good as well.  It's a very nice mouthful."

            "They are quite tasty.  I would put a little less candied zest on top," Imogen said, "but overall I like them.  Let's look at your meringues."

            They picked over his meringues before tasting them.

            "They look very pretty.  I like the effect of the chocolate swirl," Imogen told him.  "The meringues are nice and light with a good crunch.  I would have liked a little more orange flavor, but they're not bad."

            "The choice of orange and dark chocolate was a good them.  I agree they could use a little more orange, but I enjoyed them quite a bit."

            Alec felt himself relax a little once they had moved on to the next baker.  That had gone pretty well.  Maia offered him a grin.  Finally, the judges left the tent to deliberate on who would be Star Baker and who would be leaving, and the bakers were free to relax and chat while they waited.  Alec found himself pulled into a debate about what exactly constituted as a cookie as some of the bakers didn't think either of the things they had baked for their Showstopper counted.  It was a bit ridiculous, but it was a good way to pass the time.  He was in the camp of meringues counted as cookies but petit fours were questionable.

            Finally the hosts and the judges came back.  Maia was on one side of him with Helen on the other as they awaited the news.

            Raphael smiled at them.  "I've got the fun job this week.  This week's Star Baker is someone who makes a sweet sandwich cookie and lovely lemon treats.  Our Star Baker is Lorenzo."

            Alec couldn't help but notice the odd expression that Magnus made at that, almost as if he was trying to keep from grimacing.  It disappeared as he stepped forward for the next announcement.

            "Sadly, I have the duty of announcing who will be leaving us this week," Magnus offered the group a sympathetic smile.  "Every week we do have to say goodbye to somebody, and the one leaves us today is Jordan."

            Alec joined Maia and a number of the others giving Jordan hugs and saying goodbye before they headed back.  Once again, he wouldn't be needed for any interviews, and Alec was ready to head home.    Magnus winked at him, and Alec couldn't help the smile on his face as they headed back to the estate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Signature Challenge - 24 Sandwich Cookies:
> 
> * Victor Aldertree - Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies  
> * Helen Blackthorn - Browned Butter Cream Sandwich Cookies  
> * Lily Chen - Cappuccino Creams  
> * Clary Fray - Mini Gingerbread Whoopee Pies  
> * Meliorn Knight - Alfajores  
> * Jordan Kyle - Reverse Faux-Reos  
> * Alec Lightwood - Tangy Citrus Sandwich Cookies  
> * Aline Penhallow - Vanilla Bean Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate Cream  
> * Lorenzo Rey - Maple Shortbread Sandwich Cookies  
> * Maia Roberts - Chocolate Cherry Sandwich Cookies  
> * Dot Rollins - Banilla Nillas
> 
> Technical Challenge - Macarons:
> 
> 1\. Lorenzo Rey  
> 2\. Victor Aldertree  
> 3\. Maia Roberts  
> 4\. Lily Chen  
> 5\. Alec Lightwood  
> 6\. Helen Blackthorn  
> 7\. Aline Penhallow  
> 8\. Dot Rollins  
> 9\. Meliorn Knight  
> 10\. Clary Fray  
> 11\. Jordan Kyle
> 
> Showstopper Challenge 24 Meringues & 24 Petit Fours:
> 
> * Victor Aldertree - Hazelnut Latte Chocolate Meringues & Chocolate Pomegranate Petit Fours  
> * Helen Blackthorn - Strawberry Meringues & Chocolate Strawberry Petit Fours  
> * Lily Chen - Coffee Meringues & Triple Chocolate Petit Fours  
> * Clary Fray - Chocolate Swirl Meringues & Chocolate Chip Walnut Petit Fours  
> * Meliorn Knight - Maple Cinnamon Meringues with Toasted Almonds & Almond Petit Fours  
> * Jordan Kyle - Chocolate Chip Meringues & Cherry Limeade Petit Fours  
> * Alec Lightwood - Orange Blossom Meringues With Dark Chocolate Swirl & Orange Petit Fours  
> * Aline Penhallow - Cardamom Meringues & Carrot Cake Petit Fours  
> * Lorenzo Rey - Double Lemon Meringues & Lemon Elderflower Petit Fours  
> * Maia Roberts - Grand Mariner Meringues & Bourbon Brownies Petit Fours  
> * Dot Rollins - Coconut Raspberry Meringues & Coconut Lemon Curd Petit Fours
> 
> Star Baker: Lorenzo Rey  
> Eliminated: Jordan Kyle


	4. Week Three - Bread

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a recap of what each baker's bakes and their technical standing as well as the Star Baker and elimination at the end of the chapter.

            Magnus knew he'd been in a foul mood most of the week.  There were a number of factors.  Lorenzo's being Star Baker was one of them.  He knew it was petty, but he didn't care.  There had also been a minor incident at Pandemonium that he had needed to sort out, and that had take far more time and effort than it should have.  His bad mood had been compounded by running into Camille during the week.  Magnus hadn't been aware that his ex was back in town, and he really didn't want to deal with her right now.

            The weekend couldn't get here soon enough.  Even if Lorenzo was doing far too well for Magnus' liking, there were plenty of other reasons to enjoy the filmings with Alexander Lightwood at the top of the list.  Though he wasn't the only baker that Magnus had become fond of.  Maia had a flair to her bakes that he liked, and Magnus was seriously thinking about seeing if she was interested in bartending at Pandemonium once the competition was over with.  He also liked Clary's feistiness even if she had struggled a little in the early rounds.

            A weekend away hopefully would put him back into better spirits, and with any luck, Magnus would have another chance to get to know Alexander a little better.  He'd heard all about Alexander's younger sister who was apparently a brilliant forensic pathologic and worked for the Medical Examiner's office.  Alexander's love for his family shown through whenever he talked about them, and it was incredibly endearing.  But Magnus' curiosity wasn't satisfied in the least.  He wanted to know everything about Alexander.

 

* * *

 

            Alec's week had been slightly crazier than planned.  Work hadn't been bad, but Izzy's boyfriend had dumped her out of the blue, and she had spent several evenings at his apartment moping and eating baked goods.  He knew that she would be all right eventually, but that didn't mean he couldn't try and make her feel better.  She did like the distraction of the latest episode airing.  Most of his conversations with Magnus hadn't made it into the episode, but they had included the bit with Maia and Magnus' debate about cocktails along with Magnus insisting on taking Alec out for drinks.

            Izzy insisted that this meant that Magnus was interested in him which Alec found unlikely.  Magnus was nice and he flirted with everyone.  Besides, Alec couldn't imagine that he would be interesting to someone as sophisticated as Magnus Bane.  But it made Izzy smile more than she had in the past week, so that was something.  Still, Alec was ready to go when Friday rolled around.  It was Bread Week, and that was something Alec enjoyed.

            Plus, he was looking forward to catching up with Helen and Aline.  Maia too.  They'd been texting one another over the past week or so, but it wasn't the same.  Alec was also a little curious to see if anything more had developed between Helen and Aline.  He had the hunch that they were smitten with one another, and if he couldn't have his own romance, it wouldn't hurt to live vicariously through his friends.

            He had managed to catch the early train that afternoon which meant not only was he one of the first bakers to arrive, and he wasn't completely exhausted when he got there.  It was a nice change.  It also gave him an opportunity to do a little more exploring of the estate and its grounds.  Alicante Estate itself was a pretty fantastic building, and while it wasn't the sort of style that Alec normally was interested in, it was an interesting historic building.  He happened to run into Aline during his rambles around the building.  She looked like she was in need of either hot chocolate or a stiff drink.

            "Long week?"

            Aline groaned.  "The longest.  Why did I go into politics again?"

            Alec shrugged.  "I couldn't tell you.  Do you want to see if we can rustle up the supplies for spiked hot cocoa?"

            It didn't take too much doing for Alec to be allowed into the kitchen.  And it turned out to be a good thing that he started out making a large batch of hot cocoa because apparently the word had gotten out.  So Alec ended up passing around mugs of hot cocoa spiked with Cointreau to just about all the bakers present so far.  He hadn't had much interaction with Clary, the redhead, before or with Lily, the lawyer.  Maia ended up joining them at some point.

            Somehow they ended up debating favorite takeout, and Alec found himself enjoying the company.

            "Are you having a party without me?" Magnus' voice floated across the room.

            Clary laughed.  "Not at all.  Come try some of Alec's cocoa."

            Alec wordlessly poured the last of the cocoa into a mug and handed it over to Magnus.  The man took a sip and his eyes fluttered shut.  Then he made a noise that sent heat rushing to Alec's cheeks.

            "This tastes divine.  I may have to kidnap you in order to provide me with cocoa all winter long."

            "It's not hard to make," Alec offered.  "I could get you the recipe."

            He had several takers on that offer and had to promise to bring the recipe to breakfast the next morning before he was allowed to escape to bed.  Alec slept well though and woke the next morning more than ready to tackle the first challenge.  He wasn't the only one in good spirits it seemed, and breakfast was much more lively than it had been the past few weekends.  Alec was also quite pleased to see Aline and Helen sitting next to one another chatting softly.

            Finally, they all trooped off to the tent for the day.  Alec quickly found his station sandwich between Maia and Lilly with Clary across the aisle from him.

            "Good morning, bakers, and welcome to Bread Week," Magnus grinned at the group.  "Catarina and Imogen had some rather fiendish challenges for you."

            "To start off with," Raphael said, "they'd like you each to make two quick breads, one sweet and one savory.  You have three hours to do so.  On your marks."

            "Get set."

            "Bake!"

            Alec immediately got to work the first of his doughs.  Timing would be everything on this bake.  He needed to make sure that everything went well or he would run out of time to actually bake the breads.  On the upside, both of the recipes he was using were ones that he had baked more than once.  The cheese and herb bread had been one of his go to comfort foods in college, and it had gotten him through more than one cold season.  For his sweet bread, he was making an office favorite, his Earl Grey tea loaf.  It got requested regularly when they had potlucks, and it was a particular favorite of his office mate.  In fact, it had been a frequent craving of Lydia's since she and John had announced her pregnancy.

            They were both recipes that Alec was comfortable with, and he knew he made them well.  His biggest challenge beyond timing would probably be making sure they looked as pretty as possible.  Normally, Alec didn't pay that much attention to the looks of his breads.  However, this time it was important, and hopefully he could pull it off.  He was just incorporating the cheddar cheese into his dough when the judges came around.

            "What have you got for us this time, Alec?" Catarina asked.

            "Cheddar and herb bread for my savory loaf," he told them.  "And my sweet loaf is an Earl Grey tea loaf.  Well, technically, I'm using Countess Grey tea instead which has a little more citrus flavor to it, but the original recipe is with Earl Grey."

            "Do you actually get the flavor of the tea coming through in the bread?" Imogen asked.

            Alec nodded.  "Yes.  The tea is brewed to be quite strong before it goes into the dough, and it comes through quite nicely."

            "It will be interesting to see," Imogen said before leaving.

            Magnus shot Alec an encouraging look as they headed to the next station.  Alec got back to work.  As soon as his cheese and herb bread was shaped, he popped it in the oven to bake and got started on the next loaf.  Given the skepticism that he'd faced over it, Alec wanted his sweet load to be as perfect as possible.  He had something to prove now.

            The good news was that his familiarity with both recipes meant that it was easy enough to put together the doughs.  However, that also meant that he had his second loaf ready to go into the oven long before his first loaf was done baking.  Which also meant that he had time to think about everything that could go wrong which was not helpful.  Waiting was not always something that Alec did well, especially not when he was anxious about things.

            But at the very least, his cheese and herb loaf came out of the oven on time and completely baked.  He put the Earl Grey loaf into bake.  There was still plenty of time on the clock, but if the loaf took longer than normal to bake he was going to be cutting it very close.  That was probably the most frustrating part of the competition for Alec.  No matter how much he practiced at home, there were some things that he couldn't replicate.  His appliances were different from the ones they had access to here, and that was a variable that was hard to plan for.  Still, so far things were going well.  If Alec could keep from getting too caught up in his own head, things should be just fine.

            "Bakers, you have ten more minutes.  Ten quick minutes for your quick breads."

            Alec's tea bread had just come out of the oven.  He let out a sigh of relief.  It was still going to be warm when the judges tried it, but that should be all right.  The loaf looked good as well which helped calm his anxiety.  Hopefully, it would be enough to convince the judges as well.  Alec spent the last few minutes fussing over his presentation.  Time was called, and Alec moved his two breads to the end of his bench and waited for his turn to bring his two quick breads up to the judges.

            "Alec, would you bring your quick breads up to the judges," Raphael finally called.

            He carried his quick breads up to the judges' table and set them down.  Alec was pretty pleased with what he was turning in, and he hoped that they would like both of his breads.

            "Let's take a look at your savory bread first," Catarina said.  "This is the cheddar cheese and herb bread, correct?"

            Alec nodded.  "Yes."

            "Your loaf is quite attractive and looks like it has a good bake.  Let's take a look inside."

            Catarina cut the loaf in half and then and cut slices for both herself and Imogen.  Alec waited as they tasted it.

            "You've done a good job with the flavors, and it's baked perfectly," Imogen told him.  "I can just imagine that this would be fantastic with a hearty soup."

            Then they moved on to his Earl Grey tea loaf.  This was the one that Alec was more nervous about, mostly because Imogen had been so skeptical of the loaf to start with.  The woman poked and prodded the outside of the bread.

            "It looks like the bake is pretty good on this," she told him, "but does the flavor come through is the real question."

            Alec found himself holding his breath as the judges cut into the tea load and sampled it.  Catarina smiled at him.

            "I like the flavor.  The tea definitely comes through.  It's a little delicate, but overall, quite nice."

            Imogen made a face.  "I would have preferred something with a stronger flavor, but I works."

            That wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement, but it wasn't necessarily bad either.  Alec took the remains of his bread back to his station and let himself slump in his seat.  One challenge of the weekend done.  He just had to get through the Technical that afternoon and then the Showstopper the next day.  As it turned out, Alec was one of the bakers pulled aside to do a mini-interview about how he thought things had gone.  That ended up being easier to do than he'd expected.   Still, Alec was ready for the break when lunch was announced.

            Alec ended up sitting with Aline, Helen, and Maia, who were discussing grad school.  Maia was in the midst of her master's while Aline had been debating going back for her doctorate.  Alec had a few bits of advice for them both as well as some pretty good stories from his own graduate school days as did Helen.  Helen had just finished her own doctorate in the last year or so, and while she was quite pleased to be done with it, she remembered quite a bit about the process of applying.

            By the time that they were called back to the tent for the Technical Challenge, Alec was actually feeling quite relaxed.  Of course, once back in the tent, his tension started ratcheting back up again.

            "Bakers, welcome back.  It's time for your bread Technical Challenge," Raphael told them.  "Now, Imogen and Catarina, we really don't want you to be around to see whose bake is whose, so if you wouldn't mine leaving the tent."

            Once they were gone, Magnus continued, "Today we would like you to bake three loaves of plaited Challah.  What we're looking for are three beautifully braided, golden loaves.  This is one of Imogen's recipes."

            "You have four hours," Raphael added.  "On your marks."

            "Get set."

            "Bake!"

            Alec quickly read over the recipe.  It was pretty stripped down, but he had made Challah before.  So at least he knew how they were supposed to look.  That was really his biggest fear when it came to the Technical Challenge; that they would get something that he had no clue what it was or how it was supposed to look.  Challah wasn't hard exactly, but it wasn't something that Alec made often.  And he did have to wrack his brain to remember the details of the recipe since the one they had been given was extremely sparse on details.

            He at least gone a pretty decent dough together and got it to its first rise.  Once that was done, he'd have to divided the dough in thirds and then actually shape it before the second rise.  That should be easy enough.  Braiding was one thing that he knew how to do well.  Alec might not bother with braiding bread very often, but he had spent years braiding his sister's hair, so he'd had plenty of practice.  There was that.  Once there were three braided loaves having their second rise, Alec started work on making an egg wash for the Challah.

            Magnus wandered over to his station.  "You look like you know what you're doing."

            Alec shrugged.  "I've made Challah once or twice before.  It's not hard, but it's not something I regularly make.  It's not as stressful as I was expecting for today, so that's nice."

            "Do you have a favorite bread to make or is bread not your thing?"

            "I mostly make sweet breads.  Things like my tea loaf earlier or banana bread.  They're good to bring to work."

            "You must be popular at the office then."

            Alec just shrugged again at that and changed the subject.  "What about you?"

            Magnus laughed.  "I love brioche even if I can't bake it.  It does make the best French toast."

            Alec nodded.  "I know.  It's my favorite to use for that as well."

            Deciding that his loaves had risen enough, Alec lightly brushed them with the egg wash and then put them in the oven to bake.  Forty minutes should do the trick, but he'd keep an eye on the loaves as they cooked just in case.  He didn't want to overbake them.  A nice golden color was what he was looking for, not too dark.  Alec ended up leaving them in the oven a little bit longer than he originally planned, but they had looked rather pale when he first checked them.

            He pulled the finished loaves out of the oven and carefully transferred them to the plate.  They looked pretty good to his eye.  And they matched what a number of the other bakers around the tent had as well.

            "All right, bakers," Magnus called.  "Your Challah is out of time.  Please bring them up to the gingham alter and place them in front of the picture of yourself."

            Alec set his Challah down and took his place to await the verdict.  The judging was unexpectedly brutal.  Apparently with a simpler recipe there was just not much room for any sort of error.  Alec ended up being fifth which put him in the top half at least for the Technical.  Still, he had hoped to do a little better than that.  Clary had taken first in the Technical, and Alec couldn't begrudge her that when she looked so delighted.  Especially since she had been taught to make Challah by her best friend's grandmother.  Even so, he felt a little disappointed.  At least there was still the Showstopper tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

            Magnus spent most of his evening with Raphael, working on their material for the next morning.  It was a good chance to decompress as well.  The fact that he'd run into Camille had thrown him.  Magnus was definitely over her, but she was a reminder of a pretty bad time in his life, and he had absolutely no interest get drawn back into her drama again.  That part of his life was over with, even if seeing her again brought bad memories a little too close to the surface for him.

            "I ran into Camille this week.  Apparently she's back in town.  I don't know for how long."

            Raphael made a face.  "I hope you're not planning on letting her get into your head again.  It took you months to get your head on straight again after last time."

            "I'm perfectly happy to keep my life Camille free."

            "How are things going with your baker?  Don't think we haven't noticed how you gravitate to his station when there's time to kill in the tent."

            Magnus sighed.  "I don't really know.  He seems quite happy to chat with me most of the time.  A little shy maybe.  But it's hard to tell if he's interested or just polite and friendly.  There's also the fact that I don't want to make things difficult in the competition for him by showing too much interested."

            Raphael laughed at that.  "Cat thinks he's just as smitten as you are but is just better at hiding it.  So there is that.  I'm just hoping the pining won't get to ridiculous."

            Magnus rolled his eyes and change the subject.  Still, it was nice to know that someone else thought there was hope.

 

* * *

 

            Alec approached the next morning with dogged determination.  He was going to do well today.  He knew that his recipe was good, and his end result would look pretty no matter what he had to get that.  He was tired of being in the middle of the pack, and even if he wasn't sure what it would take to do, this would be a good start.

            Once he was back at his station, he waited for Magnus and Raphael to get things started.

            "Good morning, Bakers, and welcome to the Showstopper Challenge."  Magnus smiled at them, his eyes lingering on Alec.  "Today, Imogen and Catarina would like you to make them twenty-four identical tea cakes.  Now these can be any flavor you like as long as they are identical."

            "You have two hours to make your cakes," Raphael added.  "On your marks."

            "Get set."

            "Bake!"

            Alec got to work on his tea cakes.  These were a bit new to him.  He hadn't made a lot of tea cakes before now.  Thankfully, he'd found a recipe he liked, but the bulk of his practicing this week had been for this particular challenge.  Hopefully, it would be enough.  His family had liked the tea cakes well enough, so Alec was hoping the judges would have the same opinion.  It seemed like a slightly odd challenge for Bread Week, but who was Alec to judge?

            He was ready when Imogen and Catarina came around to his station.

            "What sort of tea cakes are you making for this challenge, Alec?" Imogen asked.

            "I'm making almond orange tea cakes with brown butter.  They use both regular white flour and almond flour and are flavored with orange zest and vanilla bean."

            "Do you have any trouble with one of the flavors overpowering the others?" Imogen asked.

            Alec shook his head.  "It's a pretty good balance."

            "Well, good luck with that."

            Alec couldn't tell if Imogen was sincere about that or if she thought he was making a mistake.  Alec always had trouble reading her.  She never seemed satisfied with anything either which made it hard to figure out when she actually liked a dish.  Of course, Alec had also never gotten a tongue lashing from her over his bake either.  But of the two judges, Alec liked Catarina the best.  She could be a harsh critic too at times, but she always tried to temper her critiques with kindness, and she was far more encouraging than Imogen most of the time.

            In this particular recipe the most important thing was making his brown butter and getting cooled so it could go into his batter.  Once that was done he could focus on making the batter and getting it in the oven.  Alec was trying to take special care with pouring the batter into the pans.  The judges wanted identical tea cakes so there really wasn't room for error, especially not when his recipe only made twenty-four tea cakes.  Plus there was also the fact that his tea cakes needed to look as good as possible since there wasn't too much he could do to them to fancy them up for presentation, so he was going to have to rely on flavor and things looking neat.

            He wasn't entirely surprised when Magnus joined him at his station.  The man seemed to make a point of coming to chat with Alec on a regular basis.  To be completely fair, Alec wasn't the only one Magnus did that with, but he did seem to frequent Alec's station most often.

            "This looks interesting," Magnus was poking at the remains of the brown butter operation.

            "It's easy enough to do," Alec told him, "and it adds a nice nutty flavor."

            "Do you use it a lot?  Would I have tasted it before?"

            Alec just shrugged.  "Depends on what I'm baking.  You might have.  It's not uncommon, but it's not necessarily widely used either.  You'll get a chance to taste them later."

            "What's your favorite thing to bake?"

            Alec shrugged again.  "I'm not sure.  It can depend what I'm in the mood for.  I probably make cakes most often.  I like doing pastries, but they take more time than I have most weeks.  What about you?  What are your favorite baked goods?"

            Magnus let out a happy little sigh.  "Oh, I could hardly choose.  I love French pastries though.  I am rather fond of muffins as well.  Baskets of muffins are much appreciated in lieu of flowers."

            "I'll keep that in mind."

            With his tea cakes in the oven there wasn't much for Alec to do until they came out.  He had everything ready to decorate them, but he needed them out of the oven for that.  Normally Alec was a fairly patient person, but the tension of the competition was getting to him.  It made him antsy, and probably was making him rush things which wasn't a good idea.  It wouldn't help anything, and it might lead to mistakes.

            Thankfully, Magnus seemed more than willing to distract him from his waiting by striking up a conversation about books versus their movie or TV adaptations.  It was a topic that Alec could spend quite a bit of time on; he had actually been an English minor in university, and he definitely had opinions about the subject.  Magnus shared some of them, but they also had some that were hotly contested.  By the time his tea cakes came out of the oven, Alec had learned that both he and Magnus agreed that _Stardust_ and _Howl's Moving Castle_ were just as good as movies as well as books.  They disagreed vehemently about which book to TV show adaptations actually worked, and Alec now had a new list of books he was going to need to read.

            His tea cakes looked pretty good if did say so himself.  It did not take Alec long at all to get them removed from the pan and cooling on a rack.  He wanted them to at least cool a little before he sprinkled them with a dusting of powdered sugar.  They might be a little bit on the simple side when it came to appearance, but they were fairly uniform and looked appetizing.  Hopefully, the judges would like them.  They'd been a pretty big hit his family, but sometimes that wasn't as big of an indicator of how things went over here as Alec would have liked.

            "Time!" Raphael called out.  "Bakers, if you please move your bakes to the end of your benches."

            Alec waited for his turn.  The judges seemed to be handing out quite a bit of praise as they went around the room which was both good and bad.  In Alec's mind, there was nothing worse than going out because you had a bad day.  Going out after you did your best at least was an honorable defeat.  But it also meant that Alec had quite a bit of good competition.

            "All right, Alec, let's take a look at your tea cakes," Catarina said as she approached his station.

            She and Imogen sorted through his tea cakes, poking and prodding at them as they went.

            "These are a little bit simple looking.  While they are nicely uniform, I was expecting something with a little more flash," Imogen told him.  "Now let's have a taste."

            It did not escape Alec's attention that Magnus also snagged one of his tea cakes to taste.  He waited with baited breath to hear what they thought of them.

            "The taste is fantastic.  The brown butter adds a really nice nutty flavor that really goes well with the orange, and they're not overwhelmingly sweet like I was afraid they would be," Catarina said.

            "Catarina is right," Imogen added, "the flavor is great.  I just wish they looked a little more impressive."

            That was probably the most praise Alec had gotten from Imogen.  He felt more than a little vindicated for his mediocre performance with the Technical.  It didn't take the two judges much longer to complete their circuit of the room before heading off to go make their decision about Star Baker and who would be leaving.  Alec was pretty sure that he didn't have anything to worry about when it came to being eliminated, but he also rather doubted that he was really in the running for Star Baker either.  That was disappointing, but it meant Alec would just have to work harder next week.

            He accepted the cup of tea, Helen handed him as she and Aline joined him as they waited.

            "Worried about elimination?" Aline asked.

            Alec shrugged.  "Not really.  What about you two?"

            Aline sighed.  "The Technical is what is going to get me in the end I think.  I've been muddling along with most of the challenges, but I always seem to struggle with the technical."

            Helen just groaned.  "Don't talk to me about the Technical.  I hate it so much.  It's going to kill me one of these days."

            Apparently, this weekend it didn't take long at all for the judges to figure out who was Star Baker and who was leaving because less than twenty minutes after they left, the bakers were being chivvied into place for filming that segment.  Magnus smiled at them all once the host and the judges had returned.

            "Well, bakers, it's been a busy weekend.  I get the pleasure of announcing our Star Baker this week.  This baker plaits a pretty plat, is speedy with her sweet and savory bread, and who made tasty tangy tea cakes.  Clary, you're Star Baker."

            "I have the less fun task of announcing which baker will be leaving us this weekend.  That will be Meliorn."

            The obligatory hugs, congratulations, and goodbyes followed the announcements.  Alec was once again pulled aside for a mini interview which was fine.  He didn't have too much to say about this week, mostly it was just that he hoped to do better next week.  It really wasn't all that interesting, and Alec would be surprised if it actually got used.  Still, it did keep him tied up for long enough that when Alec was finally released to go home, most of his friends had already headed home.  So Alec took his own leave with preparation for the next week on his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Week Three - Bread
> 
> Signature Challenge - 2 Quick Breads - 1 Sweet, 1 Savory:  
>  * Victor Aldertree - Maple Date Nut Bread & Spinach Goat Cheese Bread  
>  * Helen Blackthorn - Blueberry Lemon Loaf & Rosemary Onion Bread  
>  * Lily Chen - Chocolate Chip Cherry Bread & Bacon and Cheese Bread  
>  * Clary Fray - Lemon Thyme Tea Bread & Parmesan Herb Bread  
>  * Meilorn Knight - Very Cherry Nut Bread & Dill Pickle Bread  
>  * Alec Lightwood - Earl Grey Tea Loaf & Cheddar Cheese and Herb Bread  
>  * Aline Penhallow - Triple Spiced Pear Bread & Olive Bread  
>  * Lorenzo Rey - Banana Walnut Bread & Fig Prosciutto Bread  
>  * Maia Roberts - Pina Colada Bread & Pepperoni Cheese Beer Bread  
>  * Dot Rollins - Almond Cranberry Bread & Zucchini Cheddar Bread
> 
>  
> 
> Technical Challenge - Plaited Challah:  
>  1\. Clary Fray  
>  2\. Lily Chen  
>  3\. Maia Roberts  
>  4\. Lorenzo Rey  
>  5\. Alec Lightwood  
>  6\. Victor Aldertree  
>  7\. Aline Penhallow  
>  8\. Helen Blackthorn  
>  9\. Dot Rollins  
>  10\. Meilorn Knight
> 
> Showstopper Chellenge - 24 Teacakes:  
>  * Victor Aldertree - Lavender Tea Cakes with Vanilla Bean Glaze  
>  * Helen Blackthorn - Welsh Teacakes  
>  * Lily Chen - Cinnamon Tea Cakes  
>  * Clary Fray - Citrus Tea Cake  
>  * Meilorn Knight - Pumpkin Hazelnut Tea Cakes  
>  * Alec Lightwood - Almond Orange Tea cakes with Brown Butter  
>  * Aline Penhallow - Honey Tea Cakes  
>  * Lorenzo Rey - Classic British Teacakes  
>  * Maia Roberts - Sangria Teacakes  
>  * Dot Rollins - Russian Tea Cakes
> 
> Star Baker: Clary Fray  
> Elimination: Meliorn Knight


	5. Week Four - Tarts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's a recap of what each baker's bakes and their technical standing as well as the Star Baker and elimination at the end of the chapter.

Alec's week was spent constructing things.  At work he was working on plans for a new environmentally friendly library and community center while at home he was constructing tarts.  Thankfully, none of the recipes were new ones for Alec, so that made him feel a little more confident.  Of course, that didn't make the butterflies in his stomach go away when he met up with his family for their viewing of the new episode.  Even though he had already lived through it, it always made Alec a little nervous having his family see what had happened.

This week they were meeting up at his mother's townhouse for the viewing party.  His mother greets him at the door with a kiss on his cheek and hands him a glass of wine.  Apparently, Izzy and Jace are already there and driving her crazy.  Things calm down a little once the episode started.  To Alec's complete surprise, several of the bits with him and Magnus chatting had made it into the episode.  Izzy claimed this was proof that Magnus was flirting with him.

What came as a complete surprise was Jace peppering him with questions about Clary on every commercial break.  His brother was quite disappointed to find that Alec wasn't really friends with her and didn't know much about her.  It was true that the episode did focus quite a bit on her, especially in light of her winning Star Baker, but still Jace's sudden fixation on her was completely out of the blue.  Alec also didn't know if he should feel offended that Jace was clearly so pleased for her to win Star Baker at the end of the episode rather than rooting for his brother.

Alec was well aware that his flare of jealousy was completely irrational, and he would probably be over it before the end of the week, but in the moment, it did hurt.  Still, at least he had something to tease Jace about.  And he certainly wasn't going to bring Jace Clary's number like he asked; if Jace really wanted to meet Clary that badly, he could do so at the picnic at the very end of the competition.  Alec didn't know if Clary would be flattered or not by the attention, but he certainly didn't need that sort of complication during the competition itself.

Still, Alec's week was busy enough that he didn't spend too much time worrying or daydreaming about Magnus Bane.

 

* * *

 

            Magnus was just about ready to tear his hair out.  He loved his friends; he really did, but they were beginning to drive him more than a little crazy.  It was true that it had been quite a while since he had taken a serious romantic interest in someone, but that certainly didn't merit the level of teasing he was getting.  And yes, it wasn't like him to be so subtle with his interest, but the whole situation was complicated.  He really couldn't make too much of a move until the competition was over with.  That wouldn't be fair to Alexander or the other bakers, even if Magnus really didn't have any influence over the judging or who might win.

            It was a rather new experience for Magnus to tell the truth.  Normally when he met someone he was interested in, he went after them.  Not only could he not do that, but Magnus also got the feeling that he could easily scare Alexander off if he wasn't careful.  It was nice to get to know the other man though.  The more time that Magnus spent with him the more that he wanted to make sure that he wouldn't be saying goodbye to Alexander at the end of the competition.  But for now, slow and steady was going to have be what he did, and hopefully, Alexander would be open to seeing where they might be able to go once the winner of the competition was announced.

            "Meow."

            Chairman chose that moment to plop onto Magnus' chest, disrupting his train of thought.  Magnus scratched behind the cat's ears.

            "All right, I get the message.  Pets now, pining later."

 

 

* * *

 

            Alec boarded the train to Alicante Estate feeling ready for his weekend.  He'd been practicing his bakes all week with pretty good success, and he wasn't feeling too worried about the week's theme.  Tarts weren't his favorite thing to make, but he made them often enough that he felt fairly confident that he wouldn't have much in the way of problems.  He ran into Aline at the station, and the two of them shared a ride to the estate.

            "Ready for this week?" Aline asked.

            "As much as I'm going to be.  What about you?"

            Aline sighed.  "I'm hanging in there.  At least it will be a nice break from work.  Not even the Technical Challenge is as bad as an election year."

            They were some of the first bakers to arrive for the weekend.  For once, Alec decided not to make it an early evening and went to walk the grounds.  He had energy to burn, and to be honest, he'd spent most of his week inside.  By the time that he returned to the estate, most of the others had arrived.  As tempted as he was to go over and join Aline and Helen, it looked like they were in the midst of a rather intense discussion, and he didn't want to interrupt.  Instead, Alec found himself joining Maia and Lily.

            He did call it a night not long after dinner.  Alec wasn't about to sabotage himself by staying up late and being exhausted the next day.  Tomorrow was going to be a bit of a slog most likely, so Alec wanted to be well rested.  He was confident in his skills, but having both the Signature and the Technical Challenges in one day could be completely draining.  Plus pastry could be tricky at the best of times.  Alec couldn't afford to have any soggy bottoms or raw dough this weekend.

            The morning dawned grey and rainy, and nobody seemed all that awake as the group as they all tromped out to the tent.  Even Magnus, was sharply dressed as usual, looked like he could use a little more caffeine.  Alec didn't necessarily mind the weather, it would be a good day for curling up with a book if he wasn't busy, but it certainly didn't really inspire much in the way of excitement.

            "Welcome bakers on this very rainy morning to our Signature Challenge," Magnus offered them all a sympathetic smile.  "This morning Catarina and Imogen would like you to bake for them a fruit tart."

            "They're looking for lovely pastry and delicious fruit with no soggy bottoms," Raphael added.  "You have two hours.  On your marks."

            "Get set."

            "Bake!"

            As soon as Alec had learned what the challenge was, he had known exactly what he was going to bake for it.  His mango tart was his go to treat when he needed to bake something for Jace.  His brother loved mangos, and the tart always looked pretty.  But it did mean that he needed to get both his pastry and his pastry cream started sooner rather than later.  Normally, he liked to chill his tart for a lot longer than he had today, but Alec was pretty sure that it was doable.

            He wasn't the only one who was frantically trying to get all their components started.  There were two types of tarts being made.  There were the ones like Alec was making which only needed one bake and then had a filling added to it, and there were the once that had to be baked twice, once with just the crust and once with the filling in it.  It was going to be a busy morning.

            Alec did his best to keep calm and on track as chaos reigned in the tent.  Getting flustered or trying to move too fast would most likely lead to disaster.  Normally he would start his pastry cream once the crust was in the oven for its bake, but he was worried about overbaking it in an unfamiliar oven.  Alec was pretty sure that either overbaked or underbaked pastry was going to be held against him, and it was better to be safe than sorry.

            The crust had just come out of the oven when Alec caught sight of Helen, who was at the station in front of him today, dropping her knife with a sharp cry.  He was moving before he really processed how much blood he was seeing.  Alec wasn't the only one either.  Magnus was calling for the onsite medic even as Alec wrapped his clean dishtowel around Helen's hand.  He was more than happy to let the medic take over once she arrived and went back to his own station.  Still, Alec couldn't help looking up and checking on Helen every so often.  Magnus was staying with her, and after about ten minutes, she had apparently gotten the go ahead to get back to baking.

            He tried to focus on his own bake and getting it done, but he was concerned about Helen.  She wasn't doing great with getting back to getting her own tart done, and he wasn't the only one who was worried about her.  Magnus was sticking close, and Aline kept glancing over from her station as well.  Alec's own bake was fine.  Alec wished his tart was a little more impressive looking, but he wouldn't trade the time he spent helping Helen for a better looking tart.  He knew it would taste good and that was enough.  For this round at least.

            "Time!" Magnus shouted.  "Bakers, if you please move your tarts to the end of your benches."

            Alec waited on tenterhooks to hear what the judges thought.  It was not a good showing all around which made him a little less worried, especially for Helen.  She had managed to finish her tart, but he knew that it wasn't what she had wanted to present.  Still, at least it was a finished product, and that had to be better than presenting nothing at all to the judges.  Still, Alec felt for her when it came time for the judges to stop by Helen's station.

            Catarina at least asked after how Helen was doing before jumping into the judging of her tart.  From his station, Alec could see that it was a rather sad and messy thing, but there was still the possibility that its taste would overcome that.

            "So, I'm sure you know that this looks like a bit of a mess," Catarina said.  "It's nectarine and honey correct?"

            Helen nodded.  Catarina offered her a smile.

            "Let's give it a taste then."

            Imogen carefully cut a slice of the tart and lifted it out of the pan, examining the bottom as she did so.

            "Well, there's no soggy bottom, so that at least is a good sign," the older woman said.  "The nectarine comes through, but I can barely taste the honey in it.  Also, I think both your nectarines and your pastry are overbaked."

            Catarina's opinion wasn't much better.  "I'd say you're about a hair's breadth away from having burnt pastry.  I'm not sure this works as a whole."

            Alec was up next otherwise he would have tried to shoot Helen a comforting smile or something.  He took a deep breath as the judges approached his station.

            "This looks beautiful, Alec," Catarina smiled at him.  "What have we got here?"

            "It's a mango tart with a vanilla bean pastry cream."

            Imogen cut out a slice, carefully examining the bottom of the tart as she lifted it on to the plate.  Alec was more than a little bit relieved to see that there was absolutely no sign of a soggy bottom.  Now the real question was what the judges would think of the flavors.  It was hard to read either of their faces.

            Then Catarina beamed at him.  "The taste of this is amazing.  I do think that your pastry cream isn't a set as I would like.  It needed another five minutes or so to chill in order to be perfect."

            Imogen wasn't quite as effusive.  "It's a good tart, but it could have used more time and attention to detail."

            Alec was happy enough with that.  He couldn't help but worry a bit about Helen though who looked completely dejected.  He had a hunch that now that the adrenaline had worn off, her hand was probably also hurting her as well.  And he wasn't at all surprised when the medics whisked her away during their lunch break to take a closer look at her injury.  He and Aline traded worried glances at that, but there wasn't anything they could rally do except save a plate for Helen when she came back.

            It was a quick lunch break today as well.  As always Alec wasn't sure what to expect with the technical, but he was anticipating a longer one given the way they had been hustled through lunch.  Either that or someone else had some sort of conflict later on in the day that they needed to be done early.  Still, it was the Technical, and that was never anyone's favorite part of the weekend with the exception of maybe the judges.

            He tried to keep his nerves off his face as he took his place in the tent.  Even though he had done well so far, the technical was never a sure bet.  He did his best not to wring his hands as Magnus and Raphael went through their usual banter before sending the judges off. 

            "For your tart Technical Challenge," Magnus told them, "the judges would like you to bake a treacle tart."

            "You'll have two hours to make your Technical treacle tart," Raphael added.  "On your marks."

            "Get set."

            "Bake!"

            Never in his life had Alec ever made a treacle tart before.  He wasn't even sure what they were supposed to taste like.  He could guess what one looked like maybe.  Hopefully that would be enough to get him through the challenge.  Thankfully, the recipe, though brief, did seem simple enough.  As long as he could produce something that looked neat and tidy and wasn't burned or undercooked in anyway, Alec figured he was pretty safe.

            Nothing about the recipe was too unfamiliar with the exception of the filling, and Alec got his in the oven in a timely fashion.  As he waited for it to bake, Alec did a quick scan of the room to see how everyone else was doing.  For the most part people seemed pretty relaxed with this particular challenge which was something new for the tent.  However, he could also see that some folks were struggling with the recipe, including Helen.  She was back, but her one hand was heavily bandaged and gloved.  She was also looking paler than normal, and it was clear that her injury was hampering her ability to bake.

            Given that his tart had at least twenty minutes to bake, Alec figured he could give her a hand.  Tucking his timer into his apron pocket, Alec headed over to Helen's bench.

            "Would you like a hand?"

            She shot him a grateful smile.  "Please.  There's only so much I can do with the one hand.  It's making things more than a little complicated."

            He was able to stick around and help her for at least fifteen minutes which at least let Helen finish getting her tart put together and into the over.  She was much later getting her tart into the oven than most of the others, but at least she did get something into the oven.  Alec took his own treacle tart out of the oven to find that it looked pretty good.  He wasn't too concerned with how it looked when time was called.

            Alec placed his treacle tart behind the picture of himself and went to take his seat.  He couldn't help but wince when he saw Helen's tart.  She was presenting the judges with something which was good, but even with Alec's help, it was very clear that the tart was probably not going to be up to snuff.  He was starting to have the sinking feeling that this weekend might be the one where he had to say goodbye to someone he was starting to consider a friend.

            And while all in all it was a pretty simple bake, the judging on this Technical Challenge seemed much more brutal to make up for the simplicity of the recipe.  It's no surprise to anyone when Helen comes in last.  Her tart is pale and not completely baked.  Alec found himself coming in third which wasn't bad at all.  Lily got first in the Technical.  Both she and Helen were whisked away afterwards for filming interview segments while the rest of them were dismissed back to the manor house.  It was still fairly early in the day and most of them were at loose ends. 

            After a brief discussion with Aline, Alec decided to go for a walk.  Aline was going to wait until Helen came back and check in with her.  If the other woman was feeling up to it, the three of them would go out for dinner in the nearby town.  It would hopefully be a good distraction for Helen.  And hopefully, tomorrow would be a better day for her.  There was still a chance that she could save herself if she pulled off a spectacular showstopper.

            He was making his way back to the manor house after walking all the way out to the far end of the gardens when he ran into Magnus.  The other man looked rather lost in thought though he smiled brightly when he noticed Alec.

            "Enjoying your early release from the tent?"

            Alec shrugged.  "I guess.  I'm just waiting to hear how Helen's doing.  Aline and I thought we'd take her out to dinner if she was feeling up to it since we have a longer free evening."

            "That should be nice.  I hope she's feeling okay.  Have you heard anything more about her hand?"

            He shook his head.  "Not really.  I know that it needed stitches though, and she had a lot of trouble with it during the Technical.  I'm hoping tomorrow will be easier for her."

            Magnus nodded.  "It would be a shame for her to go out due to an injury like that.  Hopefully, she'll pull something amazing off for her showstopper."

            They walked along in silence for awhile, but Alec found it was a rather comfortable silence rather than an awkward one.  Still, as the manor house came into sight, Alec found himself breaking it.

            "Hey, do you know why we're done so early today?  Not that I minded a short Technical Challenge, but it seems a little odd."

            Magnus laughed.  "Catarina had a last minute schedule change.  Her daughter's first dance recital is tonight, and she needed to get back to the city in time to attend it."

            Alec smiled.  "I'm glad.  It's always hard when your parent has to miss that sort of thing."

            His phone chose that moment to go off and a quick glance at the screen told him that it was Aline, texting to say that she and Helen were ready to head out.

            "That was Aline.  We're good to go.  I guess I'll see you tomorrow?"

            Magnus nodded.  "Have a good night."

            Alec hurried off to meet up with Aline and Helen, but he couldn't help wish he could invite Magnus along to dinner with them.

 

* * *

 

            Magnus found himself at loose ends for the evening.  With Catarina gone and Raphael using the early evening off to get a bunch of work done, he was on his own for company.  It was something that Magnus probably should have planned for but didn't.  He hadn't even brought a book to read with him.  He had his laptop and his phone of course, but at the moment, he couldn't come up with anything he might want to watch at the moment.  Magnus sighed and rolled over on his bed, staring at his Netflix queue without really seeing it.

            At least he'd gotten to chat a little with Alec today.  He'd been impressed when the man had gone to give Helen a hand with her bake once his was in the oven.  The man was a good friend.  Magnus was afraid that Helen probably was going to be the one to leave this week, but at least she wasn't the only one who was in trouble.  He had to admit that he had been more than a little tempted to see if he could get himself invited to dinner with Alec, Helen, and Aline, but he knew that would be crossing a line.

            Still, he had a feeling that they were having a much better evening than he was.

 

* * *

 

            Alec entered the tent the next morning feeling both confident in his plan for the bake as well as a sense of dread about the end of the weekend.  It was awful, but he was rather hoping that someone other than Helen had a disastrous day.  He wasn't ready to say goodbye to one of his real friends in the competition.  And it was clear that as they waited for the official announcement of today's bake that Helen was feeling the pressure.  She had to do well today if she wanted any chance of saving herself.  His chest ached as he watched her wring her hands behind her back as they waited.  It seemed like forever before Raphael finally got things started.

            "Good morning, bakers, and welcome to our last bake of the weekend.  Today our judges would like you to prepare two sets of tarts for them."

            "You can choose any two flavors, but we want to see twenty-four miniature tarts, a dozen of each flavor you choose," Magnus continued.  "The tarts should be identical and perfectly uniform.  You have three hours.  On your marks."

            "Get set."

            "Bake!"

            Alec set to work on his pastry.  He had planned his bakes so he could use the same pastry dough for both sets of tarts.  Hopefully that would save him a little time and give him some wiggle room in case anything went wrong.  Alec knew that because one of his tarts was on the simple side he had to be spot on with him.  And he was hoping that his Jaffa tarts would be enough to impress the judges.  They had been a hit with his family, though he hadn't got them looking quite as elegant as he wanted them in practice.

            As soon as the pastry dough was chilling, Alec got to work on his fillings.  He was elbow deep in chocolate ganache when the judges stopped by his station.

            "Tell us about your tarts, Alec," Catarina said with a smile.

            "My first dozen tarts will be miniature lemon tarts with a candied lemon topping.  The second dozen will be Jaffa tarts."

            Imogen blinked at him.  "And what can we expect from those?"

            "Orange marmalade, chocolate ganache, and a candied orange decoration."

            "That sounds amazing," Magnus interjected even as he reached for the bowl of ganache.

            Alec whisked it out of his reach.  "You can have some after the tarts are done."

            Magnus just laughed.  "I'll take you up on that."

            "We'll let you get back to your tarts," Catarina grinned.

            With the ganache done, Alec turned his attention back to his pastry, now chilled and ready to go into the tart tins for the bake.  He took extra time trying to make them as neat and pretty as possible before popping them in the oven.  A quick scan of the room told him that most everyone else was at about the same stage.  A few people were lagging behind, including Helen, but at least it seemed like Magnus was hanging around her station and trying to keep her spirits up.  She did seem to be doing a little bit better today, and Alec was hopeful that even if she was sent home today, she could at least finish on a high note.

            Alec's own tarts were coming along quite well which honestly made him a little bit nervous.  That was typically when things went wrong.  Still as he started to work on his decorations, Alec was feeling pretty good about his bake.  The tarts were chilling in the fridge, and he was looking at having plenty of time to finish candying the fruit and getting the tarts decorated.  It felt like he had finally hit his stride in the competition.

            Even so, Magnus' ringing call of ten minutes left was not something that Alec was ready to hear.  Still, he was good to start plating even if his candied toppings weren't quite as pretty as he would like to present.  But his tarts looked quite good if not entirely polished, and he was certain they tasted good.  He'd gone a bit safe with his lemon tarts, but they looked nice and tasted even better.  The Jaffa tarts looked perfect, and hopefully the taste would be a hit with judges.

            "Bakers, your time is up.  Please step away from your tarts."

            Alec stepped back from his station with a smile and then joined Aline in giving Helen hugs.  Her tarts were looking quite nice, and she seemed in pretty good spirits.  Then came the judging.  That was always nerve wracking, and Alec was one of the first to be judged.

            "Your lemon tarts are on the simple side, but they are executed well and taste fine.  I was just hoping for something more at this point in the competition," Imogen told him.

            "I agree with Imogen, however, your Jaffa tarts are exactly the sort of the thing we're looking for.  They look beautiful, taste amazing, and are a great twist on a classic taste.  Well done on those," Catarina was a little more effusive in her praise.

            But even if they weren't thrilled by his lemon tarts, it was a pretty decent showing.  He probably wasn't going to get Star Baker for the weekend, but he also wasn't in danger of going home.  However, it was Helen whose bake would really be make it or break it.  Alec did his best not to look too interested as the judges started to taste Helen's tarts.

            "Well, your presentation isn't exactly up to spec as they aren't all , but let's see how they taste," Catarina was saying.  "Remind me again what your flavors are?"

            "The first set are cherry tarts and the second are s'mores tarts."

            Catarina nodded.  "Well, these cherry tarts are lovely.  You've got a great balance of sweet and tart, and the pastry is perfect.  They are a little on the simple side, but you executed them well."

            The reviews on the s'mores tarts, however, were much more mixed.

            "I like the concept here, but I'm not sure the execution works," Catarina told Helen.  "The filling doesn't quite work and the crusts are far too dry."

            Imogen was far more blunt.  "They don't look at all appetizing, and their taste doesn't make up for it."

            Helen nodded and the judging continued.  It seemed to take forever, but finally the judges and the hosts left, leaving the rest of them to wait to find out their fates for the weekend.  Several people, including Helen, got pulled away for interview segments.  Aline was worrying her lip and wringing her hands.  Alec made a cup of tea while they waited for Helen to return.  The blond woman returned to the tent looking slightly teary but fairly composed.  Aline almost immediately wrapped her in a hug.

            "Hang in there."

            Helen smiled.  "It's okay.  I'm going to go, but it's been worth it.  I go to meet you all, and it's been amazing.  I can live with this."

            Alec offered her a hug as well.  "Even if you do go today, stay in touch.  There's no reason we can't still hang out."

            The judges didn't take that long to deliberate this time around which meant that they weren't left to stew for too long.  He was glad to find that he and Aline were bracketing Helen were they were arranged on the stools for the big revel.

            "This week's Star Baker is someone whose tarts were both sweet and sharp.  Lily is this week's Star Baker," Raphael announced.

            "That means I have the sad job of announcing which of you will be leaving us this weekend," Magnus told the assembled group.  "It's always hard to have to say goodbye to one of you, but each week we must lose one baker.  Today the baker leaving is will be Helen."

            It wasn't unexpected, but it was still a blow.  Still, Helen took the news gracefully.  There was the obligatory hugs and teary goodbyes.  Alec did his best to hold it together himself.  It was bad enough that both Aline and Helen were crying; his first instinct was always to fix other people's tears, but that was currently beyond his power.  It was really the first of these goodbyes that meant anything other than Alec was staying for another week.  He knew it would have to happen at some point, but he really hadn't been ready for it.

            There was a sober mood amongst the three of them as they headed back to the estate to pack up for the weekend.  They said goodbye again as at the train station with Helen promising to keep in touch and tentative plans to get together when the competition was over with.  It was still a little disheartening though, and they still had another six weeks left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Week Four - Tarts:
> 
> Signature Challenge - Fruit Tart:  
>  * Victor Aldertree - Elegant Citrus Tart  
>  * Helen Blackthorn - Nectarine Tart with Honey  
>  * Lily Chen - Double Citrus Tart  
>  * Clary Fray - Berries and Cream Tart  
>  * Alec Lightwood - Mango Tart with Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream  
>  * Aline Penhallow - Brown Butter Apple Tart  
>  * Lorenzo Rey - Strawberry Tart  
>  * Maia Roberts - Tipsy Spiced Fruit Tart  
>  * Dot Rollins - Plum Tart
> 
> Technical - Treacle Tart:  
>  1\. Lily Chen  
>  2\. Victor Aldertree  
>  3\. Alec Lightwood  
>  4\. Clary Fray  
>  5\. Lorenzo Rey  
>  6\. Maia Roberts  
>  7\. Aline Penhallow  
>  8\. Dot Rollins  
>  9\. Helen Blackthorn
> 
> Showstopper - 24 Miniature Tarts - 2 Flavors:  
>  * Victor Aldertree - Coconut Cream Tarts & Lemon Raspberry Tarts  
>  * Helen Blackthorn - Cherry Tarts & S'mores Tarts  
>  * Lily Chen - Peach Tarts & Pecan Tarts  
>  * Clary Fray - Caramel Tarts & Banana Cream Tarts  
>  * Alec Lightwood - Lemon Tarts & Jaffa Tarts  
>  * Aline Penhallow - Lemon Blackberry Tarts & Blueberry Tarts  
>  * Lorenzo Rey - Strawberry Tarts & Chocolate Tarts  
>  * Maia Roberts - Bailey's Salted Caramel Chocolate Tarts & Mojito Tarts  
>  * Dot Rollins - Pumpkin Tarts & Pecan Tarts
> 
> Star Baker: Lily Chen  
> Elimination: Helen Blackthorn


End file.
